Wendy Crewson Movies

Tim Allen returns as a regular guy-turned-Jolly Old Elf in the second sequel to the 1994 hit The Santa Clause. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), who doubles as Santa Claus, has settled into his home at the North Pole with his new wife, Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell), and is preparing for another Christmas when he receives a visitor -- Jack Frost (Martin Short), the cold-weather sprite who has been sent to help out St. Nick by Mother Nature (Aisha Tyler) and Father Time (Peter Boyle) after making a scene at a meeting of the Council of Legendary Figures. However, while Jack is supposed to acting as an assistant to Santa, he has a habit of making things go haywire, and as it happens this is no mistake -- Jack is hoping that an exasperated Santa will quit his position so Jack can take over and finally have a holiday he can bend to his will. Meanwhile, Scott has invited Carol's parents, Bud (Alan Arkin) and Sylvia (Ann-Margaret), over for a long-promised visit, but since he needs to keep his other identity a secret, he and his elves are forced to go to great lengths to convince them that they're actually in Northern Canada. Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, and Spencer Breslin also reprise their roles from the first two Santa Clause films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Eight brave sled dogs search for the master who is looking for a way to rescue them in this adventure drama. An American geologist (Bruce Greenwood) flies to Antarctica to participate in a project at the United States Research Base, where he teams up with arctic guide Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) and his best friend, Cooper (Jason Biggs). The scientist soon discovers that Shepard also has eight other valuable friends -- a pack of sled dogs he's worked with for years, who have rescued him from a number of tight spots. As the three men explore a frozen mountain region, an unexpected accident coupled with a massive storm front forces them to fly to safety, leaving the dogs behind. Shepard is determined to rescue his canine friends, but he has to wait until the weather will allow him to travel back to the mountain, while the dogs struggle against the elements to survive as they attempt to make their way back home. Eight Below was inspired by a true story involving Japanese researchers exploring the Antarctic in 1957; the story was made into the film Nankyoku Monogatari. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A handful of oddballs and misfits cross paths at a motel overlooking one of Canada's more recognizable landmarks in this independent comedy. Phillie (Craig Ferguson) is the alcoholic and deeply depressed manager of the Niagara Motel, a shabby inn a stone's throw from the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls. Phillie's guests at the moment include Michael (Kevin Pollak), a sleazy director and producer of porn videos who is attempting to persuade Loretta (Caroline Dhavernas), a pretty young waitress at a nearby diner, to star in his latest series of adult movies; Denise (Anna Friel) and R.J. (Kristen Holden- Reid), a drug-addled couple struggling to regain custody of their child; Henry (Peter Keleghan) and Lily (Wendy Crewson), whose marriage is already starting to crumble before temptation presents itself to Lily; and Boris (Damir Andrei), the Niagara's short-tempered owner. Over the course of their stays, the folks staying at the Niagara will witness an unplanned kidnapping, meet the motel's in-house prostitute, encounter a down-on-his-luck staple salesman, and get uncalled-for advice from a born-again social worker. Niagara Motel received its world premiere at the 2005 New Montreal Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Created by Christina Jennings, the Canadian sci-fi suspenser ReGenesis tackled the up-to-date subject of bioterrorism--specifically bioterrorism generated by the fantastic scientific advances made during the early 21st century. Peter Outerbridge starred as David Sandstrom, chief scientist and molecular biologist for the North American Biotechnology Advisory Commission. Popularly known as NorBAC, this commissioned had been created to investigate (and in some cases terminate) examples of questionable biotechnology. Though mankind had advanced to the point of being able to create "perfect" food, luxury items and even babies in the lab, not everyone was motivated by altruism,and there were plenty of madmen and terrorists with deep pockets who intended to use high-tech science for evil purposes. Though the series was essentially an action thriller, several hot-button ethical and political questions were raised in the course of events (though few were actually resolved). Other members of the multinational NorBAC team included Conrad Pla) as geneticist-medical doctor Carlos Serrano, Dmitry Chepovetsky as biochemist Bob Melnikov and Mayko Nguyen as bioinformatics researcher Mayko Tran. Sarah Strange was seen during the first season as NorBAC's lead viroligist (and David Sandstrom's erstwhile lover) Jill Langston; she was replaced beginning with the second season by Wendy Crewson as Rachel Woods. Similarly, Maxim Roy was originally cast as NorBAC's executive director Caroline Morrison, only to be killed off and subsequently replaced by Greg Byrk as Weston Field. Appearing occasionally was Geraint Wyn Davies as NobBAC's White House-based science advisor Carleton Riddlemeyer. Boasting the input of Canadian molecular biologist Alec Edwards as the series' chief scientic consultant, ReGenesis debuted simultaneously on Canada's Movie Central and The Movie Network cable services the week of October 24, 2004; it would be distributed to several other nations before finally entering US syndication in the fall of 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An adolescent who is sorting out his new sexual feelings is less than comforted by the example of his immediate family in this coming-of-age comedy drama. Jack (Anton Yelchin) is a boy in his early teens who is rolling headlong into puberty and trying to make sense of his feelings about girls, which are making themselves known at a less than opportune moment. Jack's parents, Paul (Ron Silver) and Anne (Stockard Channing), have just announced they're getting a divorce, which coincides with Paul's decision to come out as a gay man and move in with his boyfriend. Jack is certain his family has gone crazy, and tries to find suitable role models in his friends' families, although he soon discovers they have more than their share of their own troubles to deal with. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

As Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) and Ramon (Joaquim de Almeida) escape in the helicopter, Ryan Chappelle (Paul Schulze) returns to CTU, and contemplates shooting them down. He has to make a decision before the helicopter flies over a populated section of Los Angeles, and Chase (James Badge Dale) reminds him that he'd better clear it with Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) before killing the man who saved the president's life. Wayne (D.B. Woodside) gets word to Palmer during the debate, which Palmer decides to interrupt in order to deal with the crisis. He gives the order to shoot down the chopper, but it's too late. Once on the ground, Jack is able to contact Ramon's personal pilot, and make plans to get out of the country. Since Jack's work appears to be done, Ramon decides to kill him. Back at CTU, Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) realizes that Gael (Jesse Borrego) has been thwarting the team's efforts to contact Jack. Meanwhile, Kyle (Riley Smith) is brought in and examined by CTU's medical team, which makes a surprising discovery. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Gemini awards went to star Wendy Crewson, director Jerry Ciccoretti, writer Karen Walton and film editor George Roulston for their contributions to the fact-based Canadian TV movie The Many Trials of One Jane Doe. Crewson plays the title character, the fifth victim of the High Park Rapist, who has been systematically preying on women in Scarborough, Toronto, and Niagara Falls. After her ordeal, "Jane Doe" discovers that the police knew full well that the rapist was operating in the vicinity, but did nothing to prevent her attack; in fact, the authorities were all but using women like "Jane" as bait to flush out the perpetrator! Hiring Sean Dewart (Steven Mackintosh) as her attorney, "Jane" files suit against the police, only to be caricatured by a hostile press as a hysterical "man-hater" and irresponsible zealot--and thanks to the ruthlessness of the defense team, she is treated in court as though she were the criminal instead of the victim! First telecast by the CBC in 2002, The Many Trials of One Jane Doe subsequently received American airplay on cable's Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Wendy Crewson, Sally Kellerman, Shawn Doyle and Robert Davi headline the thriller Verdict in Blood, directed by Stephen Williams. When a female judge is found murdered in her home, television reporter and amateur detective Joanne Kilbourn (Crewson) finds herself neck-deep in a homicide investigation. Her only two clues are twin wills left by the victim -- one donating everything to the woman's daughters, another donating everything to a boarding house for former criminals. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Three women living in Toronto find themselves confronting emotional crises regarding the men in their lives in this drama. Olivia (Sophia Loren) is a woman who spends her days looking after her husband, John (Pete Postlethwaite), who is confined to a wheelchair. Olivia has long aspired to a career as an artist, but John, not emotionally generous, refuses to hear of her wasting her time on such things. However, Olivia does find encouragement from an unlikely source -- Max (Gérard Depardieu), an eccentric French gardener. Natalia (Mira Sorvino) is a news photographer who, while on assignment in Angola, took a memorable portrait of a crying child orphaned by war. Her father, Alexander (Klaus-Maria Brandauer), also a well-known photojournalist, is understandably proud of Natalia when her photo is used on the cover of a major news magazine, but she is haunted by the knowledge that while she made the child famous, she couldn't save its life. And Catherine (Deborah Kara Unger) is a woman whose father, Alan (Malcolm McDowell), beat her mother to death when she was young. Catherine has never been able to resolve her hatred of her father, and when Alan is released from prison, she's willing to abandon her husband, her children, and her career as a musician to track him down and kill him, unable to accept the notion that he's a changed man. Between Strangers was directed by Edoardo Ponti, whose mother happens to be Sophia Loren; it marks the first time the two have worked together. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Veteran Canadian filmmaker Anne Wheeler spins this lighthearted romantic comedy about finding love in odd places. Jackie York (Wendy Crewson) is middle-aged author whose books regularly top the bestseller lists but whose romantic life consists mostly of bad choices from the cutout bin. Though the odd male groupie entertains her now and again, Jackie finds herself particularly interested in a fledgling writer whom she's been corresponding with online. Intelligent, witty, and very talented, this mysterious man seems to be everything she has always looked for in a man. The only trouble is that the guy, Patrick McKeating (Joe Cobden), is all of twenty years old. Though her first reaction is one of fear, Jackie's initial reservations give way to passion as the two slide into her large hot tub. While Jackie is more than happy in private, she has lots of qualms about appearing in public with a boyfriend half her age. To make matters worse, her filmmaker ex-boyfriend (Peter Coyote) is snooping around, and asking questions. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

The Canadian TV movie The Wandering Soul Murder was based on the novel by Gail Bowen. Though the book took place in Saskatchewan, the film's action occurs in Toronto, where a shadowy serial killer is systematically murdering prostitutes. University professor, single mother, ex-cop, and erstwhile private detective Joanne Kilbourn (Wendy Crewson) is drawn into the case when one of the hookers is killed just outside the shop owned by Joanne's daughter. Things become even more personal when the fiancée of Joanne's son kills herself, apparently ashamed of her own past. For TV purposes, the seamier elements of the novel were cleaned up, though the film was still fairly explicit. Originally presented January 2, 2001 as part of the off-and-on CTV network series Criminal Instincts (aka The Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries), The Wandering Soul Murder was seen in the United States courtesy of the Lifetime cable channel on January 7, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide